Spinning-frame.



A. H. MORTON.

SPINNING FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I6. I913.

1, 182,852. Patented May 9, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I. I

flyyb'zwases 131111975507:

' A. H. MORTON.

SPINNING FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16. 1913.

1., 182,852. Patented May 9, 1916.

3 SHEETS-'SHEET 2.

, IIIIII- A. H. MORTON.

SPINNING FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-16,1913.

Patented May 9, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ALBERT H. MORTON, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPINNING FCRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

Application filed January 16, 1913. Serial No. 742,361.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. MORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spinningd rames; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to spinning frames and the like, and has more particularly to do with the drawing rolls, their weighting and supporting devices.

The object of the present invention 'is to reorganize and improve the weighting and supporting devices for the drawing rolls.

The invention consists in the mechanism hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of the drawing rolls of a spinning frame; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same, showing one of the top roll weighting mechanism hereinafter referred to as the unbalanced mechanism; Fig. 3 is a similar elevation showing the other mechanism hereinafter referred to as the balanced mechanism; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the top roll saddles and weighting mechanism; Fig. 5 is a section of the front end of the weight lever; Fig. 6 is a section taken at right angles to Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the front end of the weight lever; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the front saddle; Fig. 9 is a plan view of the back saddle; Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation of the saddles showing the upper end of the stirrup; Fig. 11 is a section taken partly on the line 11 11 of Fig. 10 and Fig. 12 is a front elevation showing a plurality of balanced and unbalanced weighting mechanisms. I

Heretofore, the front bottom rolls and their bearings in the roll stands have needed frequent replacement owing to the excessive wear to which they were subjected. This was due to two things. First, the fact that the front bottom roll bearings werethe sole means of support for the front rolls; and second, because of the application. to the front top roll of an unuseful amount of pressure considerably in excess of that re.- quired to obtain the proper draft of the roving. Two features of the present construction contribute to reduce this excessive wear; first, the feature by virtue of which a portion of the pressure exerted by the front bottom roll on the bearings is taken by supplementary bearings provided for the front bottom roll which exert an upward pressure on the front bottom roll; and second, the feature by virtue of which the distribution of pressure upon the top rolls is changed so as to diminish to a very considerable extent the pressure on the front top roll. These two features of construction may be used separately for securing the advantage indicated, or they may be used conjointly. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, both features of construction are employed. Other features of the invention reside in the improved top roll weighting mechanisms and in certain other constructions hereinafter described, the advantages of which will be apparent to those skilled in this art. Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the roll stands 1, which afford bearings for the drawing rolls, are arranged along the roller beam 2 of the spinning frame. In Fig. 1 of the drawings, only a single roll stand is shown. In order to cause the drawing rolls to exert the proper pressure upon the yarn, the top rolls are pressed downwardly against the lower rolls by means of the weighting mechanisms shown, the one on the right being an unbalanced weighting mechanism 3 and the one on the left being a balanced weighting mechanism 4;. While only one balanced and one unbalanced weighting 'mechanism are shown in Fig. 1, it is to be understood that the balanced and unbalanced top roll weighting mechanisms are positioned alternately along the drawing rolls, or otherwise positionedso as to more or less equilibrate the up and down pressures on the front bottom roll. The terms .balanced and unbalanced, as applied to the top roll weighting mechanism, are used to distinguish the two kinds of weighting mechanisms from each other, and the expression balanced top roll weighting mechanism, as used in the specification and claims, is intended to define a mechanism in which the pressure exerted thereby in one direction upon the rolls is more or less counterbalanced by an opposing pressure which equals, exceeds or is less than the opposed pressure, and the expression unbalanced top roll weighting mechanism is intended to define a top roll weighting mechanism in which such counterbalancing pressure is not exerted. The unbalanced top roll weighting mechanism 3 (Fig. 2) causes the toproll saddles to be pressed down upon thetop rolls with a certain pressure which is transmitted to the bottom rolls and is resisted by the bearings for the bottom rolls. If all of the weighting mechanisms were unbalanced, the pressure exerted by them upon the bearings of the roll stands would be equal to the sum of all the pressures exerted upon the rolls by the weighting mechanism. According to one aspect of the present invention, as shown in the drawings, one-half of the weighting mechanisms are balanced mechanisms, that is, they are weighting mechanisms like the mechanism 4 in which the pressure exerted upon the top rolls is resisted by upwardly pressed supplementary bearings, so that the total result of the downward pressure exerted upon the rolls by all of the weighting mechanisms is considerably less than the total pressure exerted upon the top rolls, because in one-half of the weighting mechanisms this pressure is counterbalanced (or even overbalanced) to a; greater or less extent by an oppositely and upwardly directed pressure exerted by the supplementary bearings. The pressures exerted between and against the rolls, although exerted in a general up and down direction, are not exerted exactly vertically, because of the inclined position of the drawing rolls, and consequently the expressions upward and downward, as applied to the pressures between and against the drawing rolls, are intended to define pressures exerted in a general upward or downward direction and not necessarily vertical. In the illustrated embodiment the total downward pressure exerted by the rolls upon the bearings of the roll stands will be .the sum of the downward pressures exerted by all the unbalanced weighting mechanisms increased by the downward pressures exerted by all the balanced weighting mechanisms, and this amount diminished by the counterbalancing upwardly exerted pressures of the supplementary bearings of the balanced mechanisms, and this total will be greatly less than the total which would be exerted by the exclusive use of the unbalanced weighting mechanisms. the balancedtop roll weighting mechanisms in conjunction with the unbalanced weight-.

ing mechanisms conduces to reduce the pressures exerted on the roll stand bearings, and therefore, prolongs the life of the bearings. The distribution of weight upon the top drawing rolls is necessarily such that the front drawing rolls are pressed together with considerably more pressure than the other drawing rolls, and consequently, the

The use of bearings of the front drawing rolls are subjected to considerably more wear than the bearings of vthe otheridrawing rolls, in fact, in spinning frames, as hitherto constructed, the front drawing rolls and their bearings have had to be frequently replaced, while the bearings for the other drawing rolls have remained ingood condition for a long time. In order to relieve these bearings which are subjected to the greatest pressure, and consequently, the greatest wear, the supplementary bearings of the balanced weighting mechanisms are arranged so that they exert an upward thrust or lifting pressure on the front bottom drawing roll. The roll stand bearings for the front bottom drawing rolls are, therefore, relieved of theiexcessive pressure to which they would necessarily be otherwise subjected and their life is greatly prolonged.

In-the unbalanced weighting mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2, the weight lever which is hung on the stirrup has its front end fulcrumed upon a stationary hold-down attached to the drawing roll beam. IIn-the balanced weighting mechanism illustrated inFig. 3, the weight lever has its front end fulcrumed upon afbearing block which engagesthe underside of the front bottom roll. In the construction illustrated in Fig. 3, it will be noticed that the distance between the point of application of the weight to the lever and the fulcrum of the lever upon the bearing block is only slightly greater than the distance between said point of application of the weight to the lever-and the connection of the stirrup to the weight lever, so that the upward thrust exerted by the bearing block against the front bottom roll is nearly equal to the downward pull exerted by the stirrup upon the top roll saddles. The pressure exerted by the stirrup is, however, distributed over all three of the top rolls, and consequently, it will be apparent that if an excessive weight be applied to the weight lever, the upthrust of the bearing block will be sufficient to lift the front rolls from their bearings inthe roll stands. The critical weight which, if exceeded, would have this action, is, of course, determined, among other things, by the weight of the front rolls themselves and the effective leverage lengths of the weight levers. Therefore, if all of the Weighting mechanisms on the spinning frame were of the balanced kind, precaution would have to be taken to guard against applying more than the critical weight to the weight levers. So it is preferred to alternate the balanced with the unbalanced weighting mechanisms, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

When both balanced and unbalanced weighting mechanisms are used, and in the preferred embodiment both are used, the balanced mechanisms are preferably so weighted that they exert upward pressures on the front bottom roll in excess of the downward pressures exerted thereby upon the opposed front top roll. The balanced mechanisms, therefore, more or less compensate for the unbalanced downward pressure exerted by the unbalanced mechanisms. The alternate arrangement of balanced and unbalanced weighting mechanisms shown in the drawings is an equilibrious arrangement which tends to support the front bottom roll so that its fixed bearings in the roll stands each take equal or approximately equal pressures. Other equilibrious arrangements are within the purview of the invention viewed in its broader aspects. Thus, for example, there may be provided two balanced mechanisms in the middle of each roll section and one unbalanced mechanism at each end, or vice versa.

The illustrated embodiment of the unbalanced top roll weighting mechanism 3 is described specifically as follows: Referring to Fig. 2, it will be observed that one of the roll stands 1 for the drawing rolls is secured to the roller beam 2 in the usual manner, and that the drawing rolls are arranged in the usual bearings on the roll stand. The back saddle 5 has bearings at its front and rear ends for the middle and back top rolls. By reference to Figs. 9 and 10, it will be observed that this back saddle is provided with a groove 6 in its upper side which re ceives wicking 7 extending through holes at the front and back bearings to conduct the oil thereto. The back saddle 5 is provided at 8 with a bearing to receive the rear end of the front saddle. The ratio of distance from this bearing 8 to the middle roll to the distance from it to the back roll is, in the illustrated embodiment, two to one, so that, for example, if the pressure applied at the bearing 8 were twelve pounds, it would be distributed to the two bearings, four pounds to the middle roll and eight pounds to the back roll. The front saddle 9 has a bearing at its front end which rests upon the front roll and another bearing at its rear end which rests upon the bearing 8 of the back saddle. The stirrup 10, as shown best perhaps in Fig. 4, consists of a flattened bar which extends through a hole 12 in the front saddle located midway between the front roll and the middle roll, and has its bearing end 13 engaging a bearing cavity 14: at the rear of the hole 12. This front saddle has pressure applied to it at the bearing l-l and the ratio of the distance from the bearing 14 to the rear saddle bearing 8 to the distance from the bearing 14 to the front roll is four to three, so that, for example, if a pressure of 28 pounds were applied to the bearing 14 by the stirrup, it

to twelve. Thus the distribution of the twenty-eight pounds on the top rolls would be sixteen pounds to the front roll, four pounds to the middle roll and eight pounds to the back roll.

The stirrup of the present invention 1s a round bar flattened on its front and rear sides, as shown, thereby insuring a stirrup of great rigidity. Its lower end is offset from the main body of the rod a distance equal to the oifset of its top end 13 so that two ends of the stirrup lie in a line intersecting the middle rolls and the pull of the stirrup upon the front saddle is exerted along this line. The lower end of the stirrup is acted upon by the weight lever 15 which has a hole at 16 through which the stirrup passes freely. Upon the lower end of the stirrup the adjusting knife-edge nut 17 is screwed. The knife-edges of the nut 17 engage the grooves in the underside of the weight lever 15 which holds the nut in adjusted position. The front or fulcrum end of the weight lever 15 is convex in plan and provided with a rocking fulcrum surface 18 which engages the hold-down 19. The weight lever 15 is provided with lateral ears 20 or rocker'surfaces which engage lateral guide surfaces of the hold-down and hold the weight lever in proper position and from lateral deflection with the consequent malpositioning of parts. It is observed that the inclination of the weight lever is such as to tend to cause it to move downwardly and to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, in the direction of its length. This tendency is overcome by the engagement of the ears 20 with the hold-down. It will be observed that the rocking fulcrum surface 18 of the weight lever affords a comparatively frictionless engagement of the weight lever with the holddown. The ears 20 of the weight lever maintain it in proper position so that the stirrup is properly positioned between the front and middle rolls. By lifting the weight lever 15 the nut 17 may be turned such number of half revolutions as may be required to either shorten or lengthen the stirrup to compensate for wear or slight inequalities in the dimensions of parts in order to bring the parts into correct positions of adjustment. This is desirable because in the manufacture of these devices the expense thereof must be reduced to the lowest possible amount and cast iron castings are used for the saddles and for the weight lever and hold-down. This conduces to economy of manufacture without impairing the efficiency of operation ior the durability of the apparatus. The l1olddown 19 consists of abase 21 secured by a bolt to the front edge of the roller beam; it has two upright webs 22 united at 1 their tops by a fulcrum plate 23. The

would be distributed between the front roll hold-down constitutes the point of applicaand the back saddle in the ratio of sixteennl tion, or the fixed fulcrum of the weight lever, and the pull upon the stirrup is secured by applying the weight to the lever 15 so as to cause the fulcrum surface 18 to engage the fulcrum plate 23 of the hold-down.

The illustrated embodiment of the balanced top roll weighting mechanism 4: is described as follows :This mechanism is the same in construction as the unbalanced mechanism above described as to the weight lever 15, the stirrup 10, the front saddle 9, the back saddle 5, and differs therefrom only in respect to the hold-down, for which is sul' stituted a bottom roll bearing block 24 guided and supported in the bearing block 25. See Fig. The fulcrum surface of the weight lever 15 engages the lower end of the bearing block 2 1- and presses it upwardly against the under surface of the bottom front roll. This bearing block is made of wood, treated with lubricant so as not to require lubrication. It presents end wood to the roll bearing and has durable wearing engagement therewith. The block support 25 resembles the hold-down 19 as it consists of a base 26 having two lateral uprights 27 webbed at their top ends at 28 to form a guide for the shank of the block 23. In this construction the pressure exerted by the fulcrum of the weight lever 15 upon the bean. ing block 24: tends to lift the lower roll, so it thereby relieves to this extent the pressure of the lower roll in its bearings in the roll stands. The ears 20 of the weight lever engage the uprights 27 of the block support as in the unbalanced construction. In Fig. 3 the weight hook 29 and weight 30 are also shown. These parts are the same in both the balanced and the unbalanced constructions. The expression front roll as used herein, is intended to, refer to both the front top roll and the front bottom roll.

The balanced and unbalanced weighting mechanisms have common features in respect to the pressure distribution of the weight transmitted to the top saddles by the stirrup,

' and further, in that the weight lever is identical in form for both mechanisms. In fact, the mechanisms are identical in all respects except that in the unbalanced mechanism the fulcrum device is a hold-down, while in the balanced construction the fulcrum device comprises a bearing block and its guide. Claims directed to the common features of these mechanisms, and specific claims to the balanced construction, are presented herewith. Specific claims to the unbalanced construction are presented in the companion application Serial No. M2362 filed of even date herewith.

The arrangement herein described, by virtue of which the front rolls are pressed to ward each other, is, itis believed, new, and therefore claims directed to this feature are intended to cover any construction within the constructions .bylanguage of-definition I rather than of limitation, as the construction is new, and accomplishes the advantageous result of distributing pressures upon the top rolls in a highly novel manner.

Having thusdescribed the invention, what is claimed is l. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their sup porting means, a saddle, a weight lever, a stirrup connecting the saddle and weight lever, and a fulcr-umdevice provided with a bearing block adapted to engage the undersurface of the bottom front roll, said block being freely supported in the fulcrum device and having a fulcrum surface for engagement by the weight lever, substantially as described.

2. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, a saddle, a weight lever, a stirrup connecting the saddle and weight lever, and connections between the Weight lever and the front bottom roll whereby the front rolls are pressed toward each other, substantially as described.

3. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, and a balanced top roll weighting mechanism for exerting pressures on a plurality of the top rolls and for exerting an upward pressure on the front bottom roll only, substantially as described;

4. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, and mechanism having provision for pressing the front rolls toward each other and supporting aportion of the weight of such rolls, substantially as described.

5. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, a plurality of unbalanced top roll weighting mechanisms for exerting downward pressure on the top roll, and a plurality of balanced top roll weightingm-echanisms for pressing the front rolls toward each other and supporting a portion of the weight of such rolls, the bottom drawing rolls extending through at least one unbalanced weighting mechanism and one balanced weighting mechanism, substantially as described.

6. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, a plurality of top roll weighting mechanisms for exerting downward pressure on the top roll, and a plurality of top roll waiting mechanisms for exerting a downward pressure on the top roll and for exerting an upward pressure on the front bottom roll only, the bottom drawing rolls extending through at least one of the first named weighting mechanisms and one of the second named weighting mecha' nisms, substantially as described.

7. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawings rolls and their supporting means, a plurality of top roll weighting mechanisms for exerting downward pressure on the top roll, and a plurality of bottom roll lifting mechanisms for exerting a lifting pressure upon the bottom roll, said lifting mechanisms having provision whereby the total lifting pressure may be made to exceed the total downward pressure of the top roll weighting mechanisms, the bottom drawing rolls extending through at least one weighting mechanism and one lifting mechanism, substantially as described.

8. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, a plurality of top roll weighting mechanisms for exerting downward pressure on the front top roll, and a plurality of top roll weighting mechanisms for exerting a downward pressure on the front top roll and an opposed greater upward pressure on the front bottom roll, the bottom drawing rolls extending through at least one of the first named weighting mechanisms and one of the second named weighting mechanisms, substantially as described.

9. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, a top roll weighting mechanism having provision for exerting an upward pressure on the front bottom roll in excess of the downward pressure exerted thereon by said mechanism, substantially as described.

10. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, an unbalanced top roll weighting mechanism for exerting pressure on the top front roll, and a balanced top roll weighting mechanism for pressing the front rolls toward each other and supportin a portion of the weight of such rolls, substantially as described.

11. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, and alternate balanced and unbalanced top roll weighting mechanisms, said unbalanced mechanisms operating to press the front rolls against their bearings, and said balanced mechanisms operating to press them toward each other, and to exert an upward pressure upon them tending to lift them from their bearings,

the bottom drawing rolls extending through at least one balanced and one unbalanced weighting mechanisms, substantially as described.

12. A spinning in combination,

frame or the like having, drawing rolls and their supporting means, a saddle, a weight lever, a stirrup connecting the saddle and weight lever, a bearing block engaging the underside of the front bottom roll at one end and affording a fulcrum surface for the weight lever at the other, and means for supporting the bearing block, substantially as described.

13. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, mechanism for exerting pressure on the top front roll, and means 'ndependent of the mechanism for exerting pressure on the top front roll for exerting opposing pressure on the bottom front roll, substantially as described.

14. A spinning frame or the like having,

drawing rolls and their in combination, supporting means, a plurality of mechathe top front nisms for exerting pressure on roll, and a plurality of mechanisms independent of the mechanisms for exerting pressure on the top front roll for exerting opposing pressure on the bottom front roll, the bottom drawing rolls extending through at least one of the first named mechanisms and one of the second named mechanisms, substantially as described.

15. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, and alternate independent mechanisms, the one for exerting pressure on the top front roll, and the other for exerting opposing pressure on the bottom front roll, the bottom drawing rolls extending through at least one each of the alternate independent mechanisms, substantially as described.

16. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, and balanced and unbalanced weighting mechanisms therefor, the balanced weighting mechanisms being constructed and arranged to more or less equilibrate the unbalanced weighting mechanisms, the bottom drawing rolls extending through at least one balanced weight mechanism and one unbalanced weighting mechanism, substantially as described.

17 A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, means for exerting clownward pressure on the rolls, and separate means for exerting upward pressure on the rolls, the means for exerting the upward pressure being adapted to more or less equilibrate the means for exerting the downward pressure.

18. A spinning frame or the like having,

in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, a saddle, a weight lever, a stirrup connecting the saddle and weight lever, and a fulcrum device engaged by the weight lever, said lever having rocker ears and said fulcrum device having cooperating portions constructed and arranged so that the fulcrum device receives the end thrust of the lever and holds the latter from lateral deflection, substantially as described.

19. Spinning frames or the like, having in combination, drawing rolls and. their supporting bearings and a top roll Weighting mechanism which exerts a downward pressure on the front top roll and also exerts a counterbalancing upward pressure on the front bottom roll in excess of the downward'pressure exerted thereby on the front top roll, substantially as described.

20. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, a saddle, a weight lever Copies of thin patent may' be obtained 01 five cents each, by addressing the supported in an inclined position, and a fulcrum device engaged by the weight lever, said Weight lever having end rockers engaging the fulcrum device to support the lever against endwise movement and lateral deflection, substantially as described.

21. A spinning frame or the like having, in combination, drawing rolls and their supporting means, a saddle, a weight lever provided with end rockers, a stirrup connecting the saddle and the weight lever, and a fulcrum device rigidly secured to the roller beam of the frame, said fulcrum device having two upright webs adapted to be engaged by the end rockers of the weight lever and to receive between them the fulcrum portion of the weight lever, substantially as described.

ALBERT H. MORTON.

WVitnesses:

HORACE VAN EVEREN, GEORGE E. STEBBINs.

"Commissioner or ZPatents,

Washington, D. C. 

